Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday, May 5, 2015

The last Gala I attended I had to borrow reading glasses. 

Let me first say what an honour it is to have an award named after me. I hope the Sharon Johnston Champions of Mental Health Award for Youth will help to honour and inspire young people for many years to come, starting in 2016.

Seeing the video you produced of my activities in mental health is living proof that I am among dear friends who, like me, speak out about mental illness and health.

Everyone on the planet has a physical and mental health profile. The office coffee machine, or school canteen, encourage conversation about exercise routines, changed nutrition, and maybe visits to the doctor.

Imagine someone sipping his or her morning coffee or drinking a pop and talking about a visit to a psychiatrist to renew a prescription for a mood altering medication. It takes courage to have a conversation about mental illness.

What you’ve seen in the video is the variety of ways in which mental health can be addressed with a measure of money and imagination. But at the bottom of it all are the dedicated people who believe everyone can feel, live, work and study better if we come forward with our need for help in treating a mental illness.

It is more important than ever to be literate in mental health language when mental health issues impact more than a million Canadian children, and youth, yet less than 20 per cent will receive proper care. Seventy per cent of adults with mental illness report their symptoms started at a young age. Early diagnosis predicts a better mental health outcome.

Now let’s give the podium back to our champions for they are the ones being recognized tonight.

Let’s get on with the show and watch a short video about Patrick Hickey, tonight’s recipient of the Youth Award, and salute him for his contribution to mental health in Canada.

Thank you.